News & Analysis

Sets, Snaps &amp; Stats: Week 7

By Patrick Thorman &bullet;
Oct 23, 2013

The weekly Sets, Snaps and Stats report is a summary of participation, formation, target and other data mined by PFF’s game charters. Used with PFF Fantasy’s own signature stats, our aim – as always – is identifying relevant trends to provide out subscribers with a competitive advantage.

We should have known that Week 7 was not going to stick to the script when the Seahawks and Cardinals combined for 56 points on Thursday Night Football and none came courtesy of a defensive touchdown. While a crushing rash of injuries eventually caused the mid-October weekend to deteriorate into a scene from M.A.S.H., there were plenty of interesting blips that flew under the Radar due to the carnage.

Ranking

Week 7 Snaps

2013 Snaps (Avg/Gm)

Opponents (Avg/Gm)

1st

NY Jets (89)

Denver (71.6)

Buffalo (73.0)

2nd

Detroit (76)

New England (71.4)

Philadelphia (72.7)

3rd

Philadelphia (75)

Buffalo (71.3)

Minnesota (71.0)

4th

Tampa Bay (75)

Houston (71.0)

Cleveland (70.3)

5th

Dallas (75)

Philadelphia (69.1)

NY Giants (70.3)

A week after rekindling their up-tempo ways to hang 27.4 more snaps on the Saints defense than they had allowed, the Patriots were only able to go no-huddle 15.7 percent of the time. That was a direct result of the Jets pounding a spent New England defense for a season high 89 snaps, and a 46:13 to 23:40 time of possession stranglehold. Credit the Jets on both sides of the ball for not allowing the Patriots, who went a pathetic 1-11 on 3rd downs, to get into their no-huddle or any kind of rhythm at all.

One matchup that was sure to produce fireworks was Dallas at Philadelphia, and considering they tied for the third-most Week 7 plays, it seems they were well on their way. However the Joneses were keeping up with each other, as Chris and Donnie booted a maddening nine punts each. The Eagles again went with the no-huddle on over 70 percent of snaps, but only mustered three points and 3.7 yards per play. The Cowboys predictably reversed an odd trend where they had run fewer plays each successive week and eventually punched in a couple of second half scores that were the deciding margin.

The Broncos went up-tempo far less often than they had been to this point (22.9 percent of snaps), yet set a season high mark for plays run (74). They also lost. Denver allowed the most opposing snaps since Week 1, and it is fair to wonder whether their beat up offensive line can give Peyton Manning enough time to find his receivers if they are successfully jammed at the line. The Colts ran 23 more snaps than they did in an ugly Week 6 loss to the Chargers, but might be headed in an even more run-heavy direction with the loss of wideout Reggie Wayne.

With Thad Lewis again calling signals for the Bills, they only went up-tempo on 7.5 percent of their 66 snaps, and ran fewer plays than the week before for the second consecutive game. More importantly their opponent snapped it 20 fewer times than last week, and after grabbing a win following an overtime loss where Buffalo gave the Bengals all they could handle, it seems the Bills are indeed becoming less attractive to start fantasy players against. The first two plays on which the Dolphins went no-huddle both wound up as touchdowns. The second was a seven yarder to tight end Charles Clay. The first was a Ryan Tannehill interception returned for a touchdown by nickel cornerback Nickell Robey.

Ranking

Week 7 Snaps

2013 Snaps (Avg/Gm)

Opponents (Avg/Gm)

32nd

Atlanta (44)

San Francisco (59.7)

Houston (55.0)

31st

Chicago (52)

Chicago (60.6)

San Diego (59.6)

30th

Cincinnati (53)

Miami (60.8)

New Orleans (60.2)

29th

Houston (54)

Oakland (60.8)

Carolina (60.2)

28th

Pittsburgh (55)

Pittsburgh (61.0)

Pittsburgh (61.8)

Two games after the Falcons went no-huddle on over 35 percent of snaps and ran 71 plays against the Patriots, they did not go up-tempo once. 44 plays are it all takes to put up 31 on Tampa Bay these days, but Atlanta’s depleted offense is a far cry from what fantasy owners expected. Their defense could not get off the field and surrendered 75 snaps to the Buccaneers pop-gun attack. With games against the Cardinals, Panthers and Seahawks defense on tap, this could be the last time the Falcons see the other side of 30 points for a month.

Although the Chargers (46.9 percent) and Ravens (45.9 percent) went up-tempo at roughly the same rate, their offensive similarities end there. San Diego ran an efficient attack that they kicked off by going up-tempo on 10 opening drive plays. That tied for the most no-huddle snaps on a single Week 7 drive, and culminated with a goalline touchdown run by Danny Woodhead, who is on pace for over 91 catches. They eased off the throttle only after building a 24-6 early fourth quarter lead, and wound up with a massive time of possession advantage (37:30 to 22:30) for the second straight week.

The Ravens continued to hurry-up and go nowhere, and appeared nothing like the well oiled no-huddle machine from San Diego, albeit against a much stouter opposing defense. They ran just 61 plays for the second straight week after averaging 70.4 prior to that, and their 16 points was one fewer than the game before. They get a bye week to straighten their offense out, but will emerge with two divisional games against tough defenses (at Cleveland and versus Cincinnati). Rumors of tight end Dennis Pitta’s potential late November return offer a ray of hope, but considering that on Thanksgiving they again get the Steelers, off a quick three day turnaround after facing the Jets – it is a slim ray indeed.

Now on with the rest of this week’s Sets, Snaps & Stats, after a look at a some notable Week 8 games from a snaps and tempo perspective:

Please note that penalty plays are removed from the snap totals and will differ from what is posted in our Premium Statistics game logs.

Pat Thorman is a Lead Writer for PFF Fantasy. You can follow him on Twitter at @Pat_Thorman